One of the strengths of the human immunology research efforts at UMMS is the multidisciplinary expertise of the scientists committed to viral immunology research. All of the Project investigators are expected to require services and reagents that are being provided through the use of this centralized FACS Core. The FACS Core will provide adequate space, professional consultation and technical assistance with samples, appropriate instrumentation, data analysis capabilities, and assistance with data interpretation when requested. The major areas that will be serviced by this core includes: 1) non-routine tissue FACS services; 2) separation, stimulation and sorting human and animal samples which potentially may contain live virus(es), 3) activities related to the quality control of SOPs for fluorescent activated cell sorters and human/animal infectious samples, and 4) provide educational and reagent resources for Projects funded under this Program. In addition, as part of the tissue culture services a cell repository will be maintained containing a number of continuous cultured cell lines for use by the human immunology investigators. The FACS Facility will be located in a specially constructed area of the CIDVR. This 400 sq ft. facility will be negative pressured and contain BL-2 Biocontainment hoods for quantitative analysis and separation of cells. The FACS facility will be staffed by experienced professional personnel, and will be equipped with a Becton-Dickinson FACS Aria and supporting computer elements. Instrumentation and equipment that are proposed for this FACS facility will greatly enhance services that are not available through institutional Cores or individual laboratories at UMMS at this time. The primary example is the ability to FACS sort infected patient samples from the research projects in this proposal. These services do not currently exist at UMMS. It is anticipated that increased communication with scientists concerned with PBMC isolation, cryopreservation, the generation of T cell clones, and the use of cell sorting will improve the productivity and quality of the research performed by the participants.